Self-leveling chair



Jan. 12, 1937. A. B. RAYMOND SELF LEVELING CHAIR Filed NOV. 18, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet l i Me, /MMMM Jan; 12, 1937. A. B. RAYMOND 2,067,203

SELF LEVELING CHAIR Filed Nov. 18, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 gmc/Who@ @Iowa/13 Jan. 12, 1937. A a RAYMOND 2,067,203

SELF LEVELING CHAIR Filed Nov. 18, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Jan. 12, 1937 A UNiTED STATES PATE 4 Claims.

In the form of the chair illustrated in the drawings my invention is especially adapted for use on ship-board, or aboard sea-going and other ships, yachts, and other marine vessels, as an aid in preventing sea sickness to the occupant of the chair, while the ship is pitching or rolling in the seas. In carrying out my invention it may be embodied in various kinds of equipment, as for instance portable deck chairs, stationary salon or cabin furniture, hospital or invalid chairs, as well as in berths and other ship accessories.

In the accompanying drawings, the exemplifying structure includes a portable or stationary base frame having two diagonally arranged supports or posts; a chair and its frame, the latter having two diagonally arranged posts in opposed relation to the stationary supports of the base frame; an intermediate cruciform frame between the base frame and the chair frame; and pivot or gimbal joints between the diagonally arranged posts and supports.

The chair is thus suspended within the area of the frames in such manner that it possesses self-leveling characteristics under all conditions.

As an auxiliary means for plumbing the chair and maintaining the equilibrium of the occupant of the chair under varying conditions, a weight is suspended from the chair or the chair frame which is capable of adjustment with relation to the chair in three directions, and by manually operated means the center of gravity of the weighted chair may be varied in order to stabilize the chair in a desired position.

For the comfort and convenience of the occupant of the chair, resilient means, as a spring or springs may be located between the chair and its frame and the former hinged to the latter; and in addition a resilient mount is provided between the chair frame and the intermediate frame to absorb strains and vibrations that would otherwise be transmitted to the chair and its occupant.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts as will hereinafter be more fully pointed out and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a conventional chair made up of conventional parts, as one complete example of the physical 50 embodiment of my invention, but it will be understood that changes and alterations are contemplated and may be made in the exemplifying structure, within the scope of my claims, without departing from the principles of my inven- 551 tion.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the chair embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a plan View of the intermediate cruciform frame. Y

Figure 2A is a sectional detail view of one of 5 the screw bars for adjusting the equilibrium weight of the chair Figure 3 is a view in side elevation of the chair of Figure 1 and indicating by dotted lines how the chair may be converted for use as a berth. 10

Figure 4'is an enlarged detail view of one of two clamp devices employed for retaining parts in iixed relation when desired, and Figure 5 is a detail sectional View at line 5--5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional View showing one 15 of the resilient mounts between the chair frame and the intermediate cruciform frame.

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional View illustrating the manner of fastening the diagonal posts of the base frame to the ships deck, and Figure '7A 20 is a sectional detail view at line l-l of Figure 7.

Figure 8 is a plan view of the frame and parts including the equilibrium weight and means for adjusting the weight to change the center of gravity of the chair and chair frame. 25

Figure 9 is a View in elevation looking from the left in Figure 8; and Figure 10 is a view in elevation looking from the bottom of Figure 8.

In Figures 1 and 3 chair cushions as C, C, are indicated, and a conventional chair seat is indi- 30 cated at I, with a foot rest 2 and its adjustable bracket or brace 3 connected to the seat. The seat back 4 is preferably rigid with the seat, and the two arms 5, 5, form a rigid connection between the seat and back. 35

'I'he brace frame or base frame illustrated is of rectangular shape, and as here illustrated is made up of metal tubes or pipes comparatively light in weight but of the necessary strength for the purposes required. This tubular base frame 40 includes two diagonally arranged short legs 6 and 6', and two long legs 1, 'i' also diagonally arranged and in opposed relation to the short legs. The front portion of the base frame is open, but at the sides and back I may use horizontal braces 45 or bars 8, which together with the short and long legs provide a rigid structure for the portable type of chair. In some instances the parts of the base frame, other than the two long legs, could be dispensed with, but to insure convenience in portability I prefer to use the base frame having two long legs and the two short legs as shown.

When used as indicated in the drawings, all four of the legs of the base frame may have feet or supports, here shown as thimbles 9 se- 55 cured at the lower ends of the legs, and the thimbles are fashioned with supporting flanges Ill to rest upon the deck or oor. For fastening the chair as a whole in a particular location, on the deck, for instance, I provide two 'eye bolts II that are entered through holes in two of the feet-flanges, and in Figures 7 and 7A where the fastening devices are provided for the long legs 1 a threaded metal block I2 is shown fixed in a socket of the deck indicated as I3. By screwing the two eye bolts through the perforated iianges into the threaded blocks, the base frame is made rigid with the deck and provides a stationary support for the chair and its frame and for the intermediate cruciform frame. When not in use the eye bolts are hung up or suspended from a suitable support on the chair for ready access when desired.

The intermediate cruciform frame is also of tubular construction, preferably, and as best seen in Figure 2 it comprises four diagonally arranged, angular, rigidly joined -arms each 0f which includes an upright tubular post as I3, I4, I5, and I6. At the intersection or center of the frame these angular arms are joined by means of a four-end joint I1 in the openings of which the inner ends of the arms are inserted. For convenience in transportation or storage, two of the arms may be welded, in alinement, to the joint as at I8, and the other two alined arms may be secured by pins I9 to the four-point joint, these pin-joints facilitating separation of the arms if and when desired.

Two diagonally arranged posts of the intermediate frame, as I4 and I5 are hinged or pivoted by the use of gimbal' joints to two long legs of the base frame, as 1, 1, for the purpose of freely suspending the intermediate frame within .the base frame, and the chair frame, as will be described, is also freely suspended within the intermediate frame, by gimbal joints.

One of these four gimbal joints is illustrated in detail in Figure 6, where a bolt 20 is passed through horizontally alined holes in the two adjoining tubes or pipes, at their upper ends, and the bolt is secured by a nut 2|. A sleeve 22 surrounds a portion of the bolt and extends through one of the tubes with journal bearings in enlargements of two of the bolt holes in a tube or pipe, the inner end of the sleeve terminating exterior of the other tube or pipe. Between the two tubes a spacing sleeve or washer 23 is interposed and surrounds the sleeve 22, to maintain the tubes in proper relation.

Thus the intermediate frame is adapted to swing on the sleeves as large bearings, in one diagonal direction, and the chair frame suspended within the intermediate frame is also adapted to swing on large bearings, in the opposite diagonal direction, as will be described.

The chair frame, which is suspended by the gimbal joints to swing freely within the intermediate frame, is of generally U-shape, and may be fashioned in any suitable and appropriate manner.

As here shown, the chair frame has two upright, tubular posts, indicated as a whole by the numerals 24 and 25, arranged diagonally of the base frame, the intermediate frame, and the chair seat, and at their upper ends these posts are pivotally suspended from the two arms I4 and I5 of the intermediate frame, as indicated in Figure 6. The two posts are of duplicate construction, and preferably they are extensible and provide resilient supports for the chair seat and the chair.

To provide the resilient supports, I employ a lower tube 26 that is threaded into the lower closed end 21 of the upper tube-section, and this lower tube-section terminates in a reduced end sleeve 28. A supporting bolt 29 has its threaded end passed through the section 26 and the reduced sleeve before the two sections 24 and 26 are assembled, and the xed head 30 on the upper end of the bolt, which fits snugly in the bore of the tube-section 26 performs the functions of a piston or plunger head. Between the upper face of the head and the lower end of the face of the head and the lower end of the lower tube-section. The two springs are retained under proper tension, and it will be apparent that they provide a resilient support for the chair frame, as well as providing cushions or shock `absorbers to absorb vibrations that would otherwise be transmitted to the seat and the occupant of the seat.

The two posts of the chair frame are rigidly connected at their lower ends by a diagonally extending member, and the parts are secured by nuts 33 on the threaded ends of the bolts below the cross member. This cross member 0r diagonal member of the chair frame may be fashioned in any appropriate manner, but as here shown,{its ends comprise alined boards as 34 secured by the nuts on the bolts, and these' boards are rigidly connected by angular framebars 35 and 36, which provide an open center or a center well in the diagonally extending cross member of the chair frame, to accommodate the devices for maintaining the equilibrium, and for changing the center of gravity of the chair.

Preferably the chair is hinged at 31 on the top portion of the diagonal member of the chair frame, the hinge of course being at the rear or back portion of the chair, and extending transversely ofthe chair, and of the base frame. As best seen in Figure 3 a spring board 38 is mounted on the chair frame, transversely of the chair and toward the fro-nt thereof, and springs 39 are confined between the under part of the chair seat and this board, for the purpose of holding the chair seat in inclined position as indicated, to add to the comfort and convenience of the occupant of the chair.

By this arrangement of the four gimbal joints, disposed in diagonally opposed pairs, the self leveling chair is adapted to maintain its level position regardless of the fore and aft pitching of the ship; regardless of the lateral rolling of the ship; and also regardless of a combined pitching and rolling movement of the ship. The degree of rising and falling movement of the chair as a whole will, of course, vary in ratio to the distance of location of the chair from the center of movement of the ship, but in all instances, the movements of the ship will be compensated for by the complementary movement of a pivoted frame, and the chair seat is therefore at all times level.

In some instances it may be necessary to change the center of gravity of the chair, in order to maintain the equilibrium of the chair in a particular position for convenience of the occupant of the chair.

For this purpose I provide as an auxiliary device, a weight Iii that is suspended through the well or open center of the chair frame, and below the frame, and manually operated means are provided for adjusting the weight vertically, for adjusting the weight athwart-ship or laterally, and for adjusting the weight fore and aft 0f the ship, or along longitudinal lines with relation to the chair seat.

The weight is suspended from an adjustable block 4l by and on a screw bar 42, and as indicated in Figures 8, 9, and 10, the screw bar is journaled in the block and its upper end is provided with a bevel pinion 43 mounted in a bearing on top of the block. To prevent relative rotary movement between the block and the weight, a guide arm 44 is fixed to the block and its free end depends therefrom through an exterior, vertical groo-ve 45 in the weight, but it will be understood of course that the weight moves Vertically with relation to the block when the weight is adjusted vertically to raise or lower the center of gravity. The block and weight are supported by an angular frame 45, that is rigidly secured to the lower diagonal member of the chair frame, through the instrumentality of two diametrically arranged, horizontal, screw bars, 41 and 48, threaded through the block, bar 41 being adapted to adjust the block laterally of the chair seat, and bar 48, when turned being adapted to adjust the weight longitudinally of the chair seat, it being understood that both the block and the weight move together under adjustment.

The two screw bars 41 and 48 are journaled in slides or bearing blocks 49, and the slides or bearing blocks are mounted to slide in slots or ways 5B of the supporting frame 45, the slots eX- tending at right angles, so that as one screw bar is turned to adjust the block and weight, the other screw bar slides laterally in the guide frame 46, or supporting frame, and as indicated in Figure 8 the block is located in an angular corner of the guide frame.

In Figure 2A a sectional detail is shown illustrating one mode of operating the screw bar 41, as well as the screw bar 48, and the vertical screw bar 42. In order to compensate for the various adjustments or movements of the block, the screws or screw bars are operated by the use of extensible, rotatable hand bars, of which the respective screw bars may form a part. Thus, in Figure 2A where the straight operating member is shown in section, the screw bar 41 has a tubular extension 5I equipped with a hand wheel 52, which, as indicated in Figure 1 is located at the right side of the chair, just below the seat, where it is readily accessible for turning the screw bar by hand. The smooth portion of the screw bar telescopes within the tubular hand bar, and the latter is provided with one, or more rigid pins 58 that protrude into a longitudinal, exterior, groove or way 54 of the screw bar. The screw bar is thus permitted to move with the block, the smooth part of the bar slides in the slide block 45, and the smooth end of the screw bar slides in the tubular hand bar 5I, this action taking place, of course, when the other screw bar 48 is being turned. Suitable bearings, as 55, for the hand bars to turn in, are provided and slidable in a fixed portion of the guide frame or the chair frame.

The hand wheel for vertically adjusting the weight is indicated at 5G in Figure 1, and its hand bar, similar to the tubular bar 5|, is provided with a grooved shaft 51 in lieu of the smooth portion of a screw bar, and this grooved shaft has a bevel pinion 58 that meshes with the pinion 43 of the screw bar 42, thereby transmitting power from the hand wheel 58 to the screw bar 42 for turning the latter and adjusting, vertically, the weight.

For fore and aft adjustment of the weight, or its adjustment longitudinally of the chair seat, the hand wheel 5S in Figure l is turned. The tubular hand bar of this wheel also encloses an operating shaft, as 50, and the latter has a bevel pinion 6! that meshes with a complementary pinion 62 fixed on one end of the screw bar 48, whereby this bar is turned by manipulation of the hand wheel 59.

These adjusting devices it will be understood are speoic exempliiications of the means for varying the center of gravity of the chair, and other devices may be used for this purpose if desired.

In order to hold the intermediate frame rigid with the stationary base frame, and for the purpose of holding the chair frame rigid with the intermediate frame, two manually operated clamp devices are provided, each device being mounted on a frame and adapted to clamp on an adjoining frame. One of these devices is illustrated in detail in Figures 4 and 5 where a leg 1 of the base frame has clamped therewith an arm I3 of the intermediate frame, and it will be understood that another clamp device, as indicated in Figure l is mounted on post 25 of the chair frame to engage arm l5 of the intermediate frame.

In Figures 4 and 5, the clamp includes a U- shaped fastener having clamp arms 63, the fastener being pivoted at 64 on the tube I3, and the arms being adapted to frictionally engage the tube 1 as indicated. The fastener has an integral yoke or handle G5, which is readily accessible to the occupant of the chair, and the clamp may readily be swung to release position, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 4.

In the released position the yoke may be retained against displacement by the use of a spring blade or catch 66 having its lower end secured to the tube I3.

For convenience of description I have referred to my invention as embodied in a chair, but it will be understood that I contemplate other uses for the invention, as for instance in Figure 3, by dotted lines, a berth is indicated at B and B; and the invention may be embodied in other seagoing or marine appliances, devices, or accessorics, as well as in similar non-Sea-going devices, articles, or appliances.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. The combination for use in a self-leveling chair with its frame and an adjustable block, of a horizontally disposed screw bar journaled in the frame and threaded through said block, and means for turning said screw bar, a perpendicular screw bar journaled in the block and means for turning said screw bar, a weight threaded on the perpendicular screw bar below the block, and means for preventing rotation of the weight.

2. The combination with a self-leveling chair, of a pair of diagonally spaced legs, an intermediate cruciform frame and means for pivotally suspending one pair of its arms in said legs, a chair frame including a pair of spaced, tubular, sectional posts pivotally suspended in the other pair of arms of the cruciform frame, and resilient means within said posts for permitting longitudinal expansion and contraction thereof.

3. The combination with a self-leveling chair, of a pair of diagonally spaced legs, a cruciform frame and means for pivotally suspending one pair of its arms in said legs, a chair frame including a pair of spaced, tubular, sectional posts pivotally suspended in the other pair of arms of the cruciform frame, resilient means within said posts for permitting longitudinal expansion and contraction thereof, an adjustable counterweight located between the cruciform frame and the chair frame, and means for suspending said counterweight from the chair frame.

4. The combination with a self-leveling chair,

15 of a pair of diagonally spaced legs, a cruciform frame and means for pivotally suspending one pair of its arms in said legs, a chair frame including posts and means for pivotally suspending said posts in the other pair of arms of the cruciform frame, an adjustable block, a horizontally disposed screw bar journaled in the chair frame and threaded through said block, means for turning said screw bar, a perpendicular screw bar journaled in the block and means for turning this screw bar, a Weight located between the chair frame and the cruciform frame and threaded on the perpendicular screw bar below the block, and means for preventingrotation of the weight.

ARTHR B. RAYMOND. 

